Apparatus for developing and washing cinematographic films.



` R. JAVAULT.

APPLIATION FILED DEC. &1911.

'Patented June 1, 1915.

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. c I a APFARATUS FOR DEVELPING AND WASHI'NG CINEMATORAPHIC FILMS.

i'a T R. JAVAULT. APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING AND WASHING CINEMATOGRAPHC FILMS. -APPLICATION FILED DEC.8. 9. 1 141 4 64 Patented lune 1, 1915.

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To whom it may concem z Be it known that I, ROBERT 'JAIVAUIHB of Paris, France, have invented a new and useful 'Improvement in Apparatus forDe- Veloping and- Washing Cinematographic Films, which is fully set forth in the following specification.

For developng and treating' cinematograph films or pelicles or strips (I wllrefer i to them as' films) Variousforms .of apperatus have-been used comprising a series of vats' containing the treatingand washing liquids in which the film is unrolled and treated. The film must be so arra'nged as to present the greatest possible length in each vat or receptacle, thisbeing to the detriment of the guiding and driving of the film which can only take place at a small numberof points and has the disadvantage of causing excessive torsions and strains which efl'ectarapid wearing out'of the film.

The apparatus which forms the'subjectof I this inVention-has been designed 'to insure' a V perfect guiding and driving of thefilm in the "various treating receptacles' For this purpose each receptacle is traversed' at its upperpart by a shaft carrying a series of alternately arran ed guiding and driving rollers, while the ower part of eachvatis provided with guide, and tension rollers ar ranged in sets', in one 'of which the rollers are mounted i`n stationary beari'ngs and in the other set the rollers are mounted in movable'bearings, the rollers in both sets being arranged to twist the film back and fol-th between the sets of rollers; and for this purpose the aXes of the two sets are preferably at right angles to each other. The-film passes s ccessively in each Vat over an upper guid-` ing roller, then over a stationary lower roller' after undergoing a twist through 90 and thereupon ascends over a driving roller after having been subjected to a second twist which brings it back to an upper roller in its original position to descend again onto a yieldingly mounted'roller which imparts toit the proper tension and so on until it reaches the last upper 'roller which 'conducts it to the next vat. This arrangem'ent enables appreciable 'wear of the' film.

s p e ciflcation of Letters PatentQ i or rnms, rmcnnssenon ro soc nr FRANAISE 'nns mnms ai` cINE AToGnAPHrs, #ECLAII orraus, FR NCE; a i

Patented June 1, 1915, ApplicationflledDecember8,1011.* sera'no. &64,671; i

The invention will described with re ference `to V the accom'panying draw-ings in' tudinal section anda transverse section o a vat suitable for treating. and washing films; a Fg shows a modification of the lower partof the said' f at. 'Figs 4; 5, 6, 7, and '8, illustrate on a larger scale', details of the guiding and driving members. i F igs. 9 *and 10show diagrammatically, on a small scale, in elevaton and plan' respectively'. an installation for treating films; i e i "The film I( which has just been exposed,

must in order to'be treated `pass through a 4 I series of receptacles containin thel'quids requisite fol-'these Operations. ach'vat or receptacle A (Figs.` l and 2) made of' any suitable m'aterial such as Wood or stonewareis traversed at its upper part by a shaft a to r i which a rotarymotion is imparled, which shaft' earres two, sets of alternated rollers b` and c, the rollersb being mountedloosely thereon, and acting s olely as guides while `movable rollers h which are yieldingly supported. These rollers g and h have' their` axes arranged at right angles to 'the' 'axes of the upper rollers I and c and` a'ct as' guides 4 for the film'X returning it at the lower part of the Vat.

The strip or film X enters the Vat on' a smooth upper roller b shown at the left in Fig.;1.and descends to a stationary mounted guiding roller g 'after having undergone a twist of 90. The last named roller returns the film to a' driving roller c and the film,

'after' a further twst of"90 in reverse direction; is' again returned to a guide roll;

This twist 'permits of' guiding the film at the upper and lower parts of the Vat while driving the same a. number of times in the same Tlt or receptacle, tlius avoiding repeated pulls and the shearing 'stresses due to -an 'insufficient driving which would causca coni tinual wear and. even a rupture of the film;

4 r Moreover the emulsioned surface of the` film is kept free 'from rubbing on the various rolls or rollers; i On leavin "the driving roller a, the'film a ain descen s to the lower part of the vat w ere it passes over a tensioning roller h, whereupon it again ascends to'pass 'over a smooth roller b, the passage of the film from` the upper rollers of the vat to the lower rollers and vice versa taking place with a 90 twist of the film; In order to further increase the smoothness. of the motion, the driving rollers 'c are preferably constructed inseveral parts as shown in Figs. 4 and where; two metal sprocket disks i are sl'wn keyed on the'shaft'a and kept at'. the required distance "apart by a sleeve :j

- surrounding the shafta and keyed thereom keyed on the shaft a, are inserted washers Z of fiberor ebonite revolving freely on the Between the disks i inclosing'theroller c' and the rollers b and loose on a sleeve Ic e I saidgsleevesj and 70. As the perforations of the strip do not always properly register with the sprockets' of thedrvin'g dsks in existing ,apparatus tensile stresses are' pro-` duced on the film causing its injuriouswear.

, In -the' hereinbefore described arrangement the loose washers l will ,follow the motions of the film. The liqud of the vat or recep- .taole penetrates 'into the interstices between these various parts of the driving rolls c and playssomewhat thepart of a lubricant whileremoving the waste caused b the wear of-the ebonite or fiber on the meta i The movable lower rollers h which insure the tension ofthe film are preferably yield-- ingly mounted in any suitable manner aas I lower position the rollers k which have been shown for example in 'Figs `6,. 7 'and `8 in( which' their shafts m are Secured to levers n securedvto shafts 0 capable of turnin in bearings on the rod f, the movements o the 'levers n being limited by projections p enr gaging' in Slots On each shaft 0 is keyed asmall pulley r. A blade spring m connects the'pulleys r in pairs so as to return to their device thus far described; As shown in Fig; 9 and 10, the apparatus for the treatment of films :comprises seven receptacles or .vats

and adrier through which the ,film passes" in succession, nnmely a vat A containing the developing' bath, a vat A for washing,

containing :I full supply of water orwzsh- 'ngwtha sprnkhng devce B and B?, one

renewe'd by the sprinklers B, B and B."

frame'in case. black toned filmsa "the toning and the other forthe w rolls, s. Rotar a under good conditions an ja vat, ashaft provided withidleg ;drive rolls alternating.: with each =mounted in said vat, a sup artin When' tle are to be treated: remain black (oriuncolored), the tw A and`A are not needed and the i\ film'foes directly into the drie -;T mg rame-A can be replacedby'a.`

dyed; Two supplementary should then be inserted between ,the A and A. The ;sensitized film i from 'a coil 'C and reachesthefirst after having passed over two 'power motion istranemi the shaftsa e; the vate by endlez actuatin pinions or pulleys u keye endstof, e shafts'a andyeldingly n v rollersfv insuringthe tension of'then\ i This mode` of drivingpermits-o! wthdrawmg-one or more; va

To enablea film to the nexton a smoothrollerbz d without torsion of" the fi1m,'it. is A film pass ofl' thelowerserieslof r movable roll h and `up to a' successivo` vats.. Smoe the film through 'successive vets in; opposi tions as shown in Fig. 10,;the terminal able roll h in one vat will be located; Fig. 1 at the extreme` right vat at the-extreme left `as appears 'What Iclaim ist-.-

' treting ;1. Inapparatus for I V graphic' films or thelike, the a vat, a shaft provided withidle` drive rollsjxalternatinguwith mounted in said vata`support im v and-a pluralityof rolls mmnted r having their axes of rotation at gles to that of said shaft whereby w is twisted and untwisted thi-ou maintained alinenent with rollswithoutside thrust.

2. In apparatus fortreating graphic films orthe like, the oomb' and guide rolls mountedt ere'on which' are stationary mounted and yieldinglvmounted to act as tension and having their axesof rotatiov ,angles to that of said shaft whereby I 'is twisted anduuntwisted through r mintnined in alinement with the, olls withoutside=thrst. 3. In apparatus `for treating ci graphic films or the like, the 'combin H a shaft provided" with film gui'di y driving rol'ls mounted thereon, el h roll having sprocket disks hamom; and adnpted'to engnge perforations" film, and looselv mounted side wash jacent said disks adapted to follo movement of the film and prevent; wear of In bestimony whereoi` I have signed this its edge portions. v v e I specification in the presence of two subscrib- 4; In' a paratus for treating cinematw ing witnesses. r graphic or the like, a reeeptaclmand ROBERT JAVAULT. 5 means, therein for advancing thefilm while A witnesses: I

twstng and untwisting 'said `film during V BARTLIF. Yos'', such movement.` v GABRIEL Bmw. 

